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Girls Will Be Girls: A layered story of adolescence driven by a fantastic cast

Girls Will Be Girls movie image

Director Shuchi Talati does a wonderful job in exploring the complexities of Teenage. An important part of Girls Will Be girls is the theme of sexual awakening portrayed with lots of sensitivity

Starcast: Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron and others

Director and writer: Shuchi Talati

Producers: Richa Chaddha, Clarie Chassagne and Shuchi Talati

Production Companies: Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital etc

Music: Pierre Oberkampf and Sneha Khanwalkar

Cinematography: Jih-E Peng

Running time: 1 hour and 58 minutes

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

The age of adolescence is a very complex period in the life of a teenager. Both mentally and physically there are major upheavals. Shuchi Talati’s story focuses on one such teenager without any commercialization.

Preeti Panigrahi and Kani Kusruti in Girls Will Be Girls

The main plot of Girls Will Be Girls revolves around Mira ( Preeti Panigrahi) set in a boarding school. Preeti is both a class topper as well as a prefect. Kani Kusruti plays the protective mother Anila. There is a father too appearing occasionally. Mira’s life takes a major turn with the entry of a new joinee Srinivas ( Kesav Binoy Kiron). Mira starts developing feelings which includes sexual as well. While chatting with Srinivas over the phone Anila catches her daughter making it very clear that the two can only be friends and northing more. However Mira and Srinivas continue to pursue each other romantically. Soon Srinivas starts coming to Mira’s house developing a good rapport with Anila. This leads to a major tension as Mira feels that Srinivas is giving more attention to her mother. The rest of the story focuses on the new challenges that Mira faces and how she navigates adolescence.

Keshav Binoy Kiron as Srinivas

A strong aspect of Girls Will Be Girls is how Shuchi Talati portrays the physical changes that a teenager undergoes. For example there is a scene where Mira tries to appear sexy in the front of a ,mirror while lip syncing. Similarly there is also a bit of Mira trying to practice kissing. These moments have been presented with honesty making it relatable for many teenagers.

Apart from the challenges of adolescence Shuchi Talati also does a wonderful job in showcasing the complex mother and daughter dynamics. Their relationship has shades of jealousy with some unpleasant moments. Anila is an overprotective mother who has a hard time in dealing with her rebellious daughter. She wants to limit the physical and emotional intimacy of the two. The dynamics get further complicated when Srinivas gets closer to the mother, his proximity with Anila increases leading to a further divide. However beneath all the insecurities there is also mutual love which comes out strongly.

The complex mother and daughter dynamics

The movie’s pacing is deliberately slow but for a story of this nature it works perfectly. The build up to the bodily changes that Mira is undergoing has been portrayed with the right amount of sensitivity. The film dwells into the themes of sexuality from a female perspective showcasing how societal repression often comes in the way. This is something that we don’t see in the high testosterone male led cinema.

The scenes of Mira losing her virginity and the various feelings which come with it have been shot in an aesthetic manner with no titlation.

Mira’s sexual awakening

Shuchi Talati’s use of visual metaphors is also brilliant. These metaphors perfectly convey the internal struggle which the characters are going through on numerous occasions. The movie is a perfect example of how dialogues aren’t always needed to convey the emotional turmoil.

The performances of Preeti and Kani Kusruti also make this movie a major winner. Preeti Panigrahi had won the special jury award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival and she truly deserves it for her wonderful portrayal. She perfectly captures the vulnerability, defiance and the contradictions which a teenager goes through. She more than holds her own opposite the terrific Kani Kusruti. Speaking about Kani Kusruti the actress continues her terrific form showcasing her immense versatility post All We Imagine as Light. She does a superlative job in bringing out the turmoil of a woman who is grapping with her own desires while being a caring mother. As Srinivas Keshav Binoy Kiron has an easy charm blending in perfectly. He also brings in a sense of ambiguity adding an extra layer.

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Mufasa The Lion King: An engaging origin story with darker themes

An image from Musafa The Lion King

The entertainment quotient takes a back seat in this prequel but director Barry Jenkins does a very fine job in exploring the back story of how Mufasa became a king. The film also has stunning visuals particularly the shots of flood. The prequel also gets into a more political zone through the angle of a ferocious pride called outsiders

Voice cast: Aaron Pierre, Tiffany Boone, John Kani, Kelvin Harrison and others

Director: Barry Jenkins

Screenplay: Jeff Nathanson

Based on: The Disney’s Lion King by Irene Mecchi, Jonathon Roberts and Linda Woolverton

Producers; Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak

Cinematography: James Laxton

Production Company: Disney Walt Productions

Running time: 1 hour and 58 minutes

The 2019 musical drama the Lion King was an entertaining update of the much beloved 1998 animated film. The musical format with the photorealistic animation made it a worthy big screen watch. The humor provided by the characters of Pumbaa and Timon voiced by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner also gave some chuckle worthy moments. After a gap of 4 years you have the prequel exploring the origin story of Mufasa, how as a young cub he was separated from his parents. Mufasa never wanted the throne, he always wanted to be free of responsibility but destiny had other plans.

The 2019 Lion King was an entertaining update of the much beloved 1998 animated film

In simple terms story of Mufasa The Lion King recounts the tale of the titular character through a wise monkey also called as Mandrill. This wise Mandrill is voiced by John Kani as Rafiki. The plot follows the journey of Mufasa as an orphaned cub to a king. Intermingled in this tale is a friend turned foe Taka/Scar (voiced by Kelvin Harrison jr. )

A strong aspect of Mufasa the Lion King is its CGI department. The work of cinematographer James Laxton deserves a major appreciation. The shots are simply breathtaking particularly the portion where Mufasa gets lost in the flood. Even the battle scenes with a ferocious pride called outsiders keeps the viewers tensed on how Mufasa would come out safe. As already mentioned the prequel comes with a political angle.

This pride called outsiders seem to represent the white colonizers of Africa. It comes out starkly in the attitude of the deadly Kiros (voiced by Mikkelsen). Kiros has a clear goal of conquering everything, he rules the land with an iron fist. There is a strong undercurrent of anti – colonialism underlying the invasion of Africans by Europeans. The underlying message is that more unity would have changed the course of history.

The characterization of Mufasa coupled with the acting of Aaron Pierre is another big plus for the movie. Musafa started off as a carefree cub with no intention of becoming the king in spite of having all the traits but all this changes when Mufasa along with Taka have to run for their life due to this ferocious and deadly pack of outsiders. Mufasa personality has to undergo a significant change, he eventually becomes a leader for the animals in a place called Milele. All these nuances have come out well both in the writing and the voice acting of Aaron Pierre. He does a fine job in conveying both the inner strength and the emotional turmoil of Mufasa.

Aaron Pierre as the voice of Mufasa. He does a very fine job in conveying both the inner strength and emotional turmoil of Mufasa

Also praiseworthy is how the director has built up the rivalry between Taka/Scar and Mufasa. It adds a sense of intrigue on how their relations soured considering that for Taka Mufasa was both a friend and a brother. Kelvin Harrison does a very fine job in showcasing the different nuances going from I am always there for Mufasa, then to an insecure sibling and eventually a bitter antagonist.

Mufasa and Taka

The humor in Mufasa The Lion King doesn’t completely match up to the first part still the prequel has its share of chuckle worthy moments. Billy Eichener and Seth Rogen returning as Timon and Pumbaa respectively have wonderful chemistry in spite of less screen time. Mention must also be made of John Kani. He brings in a lot of warmth.

The music of Mufasa The Lion does fall significantly short in comparison to the 2019 movie. However the song Think “I Always Wanted A Brother perfectly establishes the initial brotherhood between Taka and Mufasa.

To sum it up Mufasa The Lion King is a worthy big screen spectacle for both kids and adults.

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Lucky Bashkar: A well-made financial thriller/drama with a terrific Dulquer Salmaan

Director Venky Atluri is successful in transporting the viewers into the world of bank scams and how people made huge fortunes on stock markets by exploiting the banking system. What also makes the movie work is the characterization of Baskhar, a normal middle class bank employee wanting to change the family fortunes through whatever it takes

  • Starcast: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Rithvik P. Sai Kumar, Ramki, Tinnu Anand and others
  • Director and writer: Venky Atluri
  • Producers: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya
  • Production Companies: Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas
  • Music: G. V Prakash Kumar
  • Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
  • Cinematography: Nimish Ravi

Before the Tamil Film Vaathi starring Dhanush the filmography of Venky Atluri was dominated by romantic movies. Vaathi showcased a different side to Venky Atluri, though far from perfect the director did a fair job in exploring right to education and also some institutions which treat education as business. With his latest Lucky Baskhar the director has once again stepped out of his comfort zone dealing with a subject involving the banking system and the stock market. He pulls it off for most part.

Venky Atluri has once again stepped out of his comfort zone dealing with a subject involving the banking system and the stock market

The story of Lucky Baskhar is set in the period of the early 90’s. Dulquer Salmaan is the main protagonist. Baskhar is a middle-class employee working in Magadh Bank. Meenakshi Chaudhary of Hit 2 and Guntur Kaaram fame is the wife Sumathi, Rithivik plays the son. Baskhar’s salary is mere nine thousand rupees, given the large family consisting of brother, sister and father this money is nowhere sufficient to support them. Additionally, debts are also there. Also adding to Bashkar’s woes are the in laws who don’t shy away from expressing their dissatisfaction with his financial condition. The final nail in the coffin happens when Baskhar doesn’t get the promotion he was expecting. Frustrated with the circumstances Baskhar treads a very dangerous path starting with a small scam. Baskhar’s new path changes his entire personality causing friction with those closest to him. This is the story in brief.

The theme of financial crime set against the backdrop of a bank is a new genre for Telugu Cinema. Thankfully director Venky Atluri doesn’t make it overtly complicated. The banking system and the functioning of stock markets are presented in such a way even a lay men can understand.

Lucky Baskhar also works due to the effective world building of a bygone era. Venky Atluri along with the cinematographer Nimish Ravi do a wonderful job in transporting the viewers into the Bombay of 1989 and 1990 giving the viewers a lived-in feel.

The portrayal of the middle-class life in terms of the conversations and the overall texture is a big plus for the movie. This particularly reflects in the ups and downs of Baskhar and Sumati’s relationship. The dialogues often have a philosophical tone, but they never get verbose. A Trivikram flavor can be found in the dialogues related to the concepts of success, failure and greed.

The financial struggles of Baskhar are presented in a crisp yet very impactful manner. The humiliations and the financial hardships which he undergoes makes the viewers empathize with him even when he takes a route which isn’t ethically right.

What also enhances the films are the constant twists and turns. Every venture of Baskhar feels like a mini adventure where the viewers are constantly guessing on how Baskhar will come out triumphs.

Baskhar’s huge rise and the subsequent crash has a lot of emotional depth. Baskhar’s regret over his actions has come out wonderfully too.

The biggest ace of Lucky Bashkar though is its leading man. Dulquer has always experimented with a range of characters making them his own. Here too he does a swell job in portraying the various nuances. He is simply terrific both as a struggling middle class man and also showcasing the subsequent arrogance of Bashkar as he loses the way. The actor is particularly impressive in the emotional scene like the portion where he vents out his frustration on not being promoted in spite of slogging hard for 3 years and winning the best employee award consecutively.

Dulquer Salmaan does a swell job in portraying the various nuances of Bashkar

Meenakshi Chaudhary gets a far better role in this one compared to the tiny part in Guntur Kaaram. She makes full use of it delivering a strong act particularly the portions where Sumati expresses her rage at the change in Bashkar.

Meenakshi Chaudary as Sumathi also delivers a strong act

G V Prakash’s songs flow seamlessly into the narrative. Particular mention must be of the Srimathi Garu song. It is a soothing romantic number enhanced by the chemistry of Dulquer and Meenakshi. His background score also deserves distinction marks. It adds to the thrill quotient significantly.

Dulquer and Meenakshi in Srimathi Garu song

The ending of Lucky Baskhar is also interesting. The director completely leaves it to the viewers to judge the actions of Baskhar.

While mostly engaging Lucky Baskhar has a couple of loose ends. One of them is a sequence involving Raghu Babu and a cop. It feels dragged, also the movie needed a stronger opposition to Baskhar given how he always comes out unscathed in spite of how tough the situations are like the pre- climax and climax.

Leaving aside these small niggles Lucky Baskhar is an entertaining thriller/drama particularly for die hard Dulquer fans.

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Vettaiyan: The triumph of stardom over storytelling

At its core director TJ Gnanvel has an important story to say, the dangers of hurried justice resulting from external pressure and sufferings of the poor but the struggle to balance the societal aspects with the demands of Rajinikanth fans make it an uneven film at best

  • Starcast: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh and others
  • Director and writer: TJ Gnanvel
  • Additional writer: B Kiruthika
  • Producer: Subaskaran Allirajah
  • Music: Anirudh Ravichander
  • Cinematography: SR Kathir
  • Production Company: Lyca Productions
  • Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

T J Gnanvel’s last movie Jai Bhim was a hard-hitting tale on the horrors of custodial torture. It was by no means an easy watch particularly the portions involving police atrocities, but still the relevancy of those scenes shook the viewers conscience. Jai Bhim rightfully won many awards along with garnering excellent ratings. What also made Jai Bhim a major winner was the use of Suriya’s stardom. The actors star power at no point overpowered the narrative, Suriya also blended in perfectly delivering his lines with absolute conviction. Vettaiyan directed by the same TJ Gnanvel’s also focuses on the sufferings of poor people showcasing the transformation of an encounter specialist while merging the topic of educational scams. But unlike Jai Bhim here the director’s handling of the subject leaves a lot to be desired. Vettaiyan isn’t a complete washout particularly if you are a diehard Rajinikanth fan, but the movie leaves you with the feeling that it could have been so much more given the names associated.

Vettaiyan isn’t a complete washout particularly if you are a diehard Rajnikanth fan

Vettaiyan primarily focuses on the vastly different ideologies of SP Athiyan (Rajinikanth) and a prominent lawyer cum human rights activist Sathyaraj (Amitabh Bachchan). SP Athiyan is popularly known as an encounter specialist. He is a no- nonsense police officer who prefers the method of extrajudicial killings in order to deliver speedy justice. Sathyaraj is a vocal critic of SP Athiyan’s methods. Sathyaraj firmly believes that speedy justice is not the way to go about things. For him it is as bad as delaying cases for years in court. Fahadh Faasil is Patrick. He is a thief turned police informer with a lot of technical knowledge. His knowledge regarding the technical aspects makes him a very valuable addition. SP Athiyan’s firm belief on speedy justice takes a major hit when an innocent person dies. He is forced to reconsider his ideals marking a significant change in the thought process. This is the story in brief.

Vettaiyan primarily focuses on the vastly different ideologies of SP Athiyan (Rajinikanth) and a prominent lawyer cum human rights activist Sathyaraj (Amitabh Bachchan)

Through Vettaiyan director TJ Gnanvel has focused on multiple social issues whether it is encounter killings to satisfy a mob or the business of education, particularly exams like NEET. All of this while trying to merge Rajinikanth’s stardom. This khichdi doesn’t come across satisfactorily and a major reason for that it is the confused tone.

The first half is filled with numerous scenes of Rajinikanth carrying out his own form of justice against the backdrop of Anirudh Ravichander’s stylized background score. These are very repetitive in nature tiring the audiences quickly. What also makes the proceedings silly is the reason behind SP Athiyan’s wife played by Manju Warrier to not have children. There is a scene where Athiyan talks about the wife not wanting children as she believes it is a form of sacrifice for her husband killings. It is a very flimsily written scene leaving no impact whatsoever.

Yes, the inevitable transformation in SP Athiyan does take place in the second half. There are few scenes exploring the guilt that SP Athiyan faces, but TJ Gnanvel doesn’t let those moments linger. From the middle of second half the movie gets into the usual zone of good versus evil. Rana Daggubati plays a typical corporate villain who feeds on the poor. The actor has a towering presence but suffers majorly on the account of a sketchy characterization. It looks he had directly entered from Baahubali sets to this.

Amitabh Bachchan as Sathyaraj though makes his presence amply felt. Sure, the characterization lacks the meat of what Nag Ashwin pulled off with the Shahenshah in Kalki 2989 AD. But still the senior actor brings in a much-needed gravitas in the scenes where he talks about unequal society and the poor generally being the causalities of encounter killings. Rajinikanth as SP Athiyan is mostly required to be a star which the actor pulls off with consummate ease but there isn’t much in the role for the actor Rajini to shine.

Fahadh Faasil as Patrick raises many chuckles with his antics. He brings in a certain energy perfectly embodying the required street smartness. There is also a slight emotional touch in a crucial scene with Rajinikanth making the viewers feel for Patrick.

Fahadh Faasil as Patrick raises many chuckles with his antics. He perfectly embodies the street-smart nature

Anirudh’s music once again after Devara is a major misfire. Working on too many projects is clearly affecting the quality of this young talented musician. The background score though slightly better becomes monotonous after a point.

A major problem of Vettaiyan are also the investigative portions of the second half. The pattern of investigation and the eventual reveal of Rana being the big villain becomes easy to guess leaving little to no surprises. The hero and villain clash also becomes heavily one sided.

To sum it up Vettaiyan wants to be both a commercial entertainer and also a serious movie, but it eventually ends up in the zone of nowhere. A major letdown from the director of Jai Bhim.

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The Buckingham Murders: A well-crafted whodunit focusing on unresolved grief and repressed anger

Hansal Mehta raises many pertinent issues through this police procedural like the plight of immigrants, communal hatred, the queer community etc. The treatment of these topics does feel rushed, nevertheless he delivers an engrossing movie aided by the brilliant Kareena Kapoor Khan

  • Starcast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Ranveer Brar, Keith Allen and others
  • Story and screenplay: Assem Arora
  • Additional screenplay: Raghav Raj Kakker and Kashyap Kapoor
  • Director: Hansal Mehta
  • Producers: Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan
  • Music: Ketan Sodha
  • Cinematography: Emma Dalesman
  • Production Companies: Balaji Motion Pictures and Mahana Films
  • Running time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

The Buckingham Murders directed by Hansal Mehta and co-produced by Kareena Kapoor Khan perfectly fits the genre of a slow burn investigative drama. The story is set in the town of High Wycombe. High Wycombe is situated in Buckinghamshire just northwest of London. Beneath the town’s charming nature there are many secrets waiting to be unraveled. The film tapes into the underlying racial tensions echoing real life situations. In simple terms the story of The Buckingham Murders focuses on the emotional turmoil of detective Jasmeet Bhamra akka Jas (Kareena Kapoor Khan in a knockout performance). She is a witness to her son’s tragic death due to a reckless open firing incident in a foreign country. An attempt to escape from her scars results in a demotion to D S shortcut for Detective Seargent. Detective Seargent is a police rank in the UK. On her very first day of work, she reluctantly takes up the case of a missing Indian Child. It starts off as a straightforward investigation but soon a cane of secrets tumbles out. Jasmeet has huge doubts regarding the honesty of Diljeet (Ranveer Brar). Diljeet is the father of the missing child. As the plot progresses many questions crop up like why the boy is missing and who is responsible for it, running parallel to the investigation is the track of immigrants and the issue of communal violence.

Kareena Kapoor Khan in a knockout performance

A strong aspect of The Buckingham Murders is director’s exploration of unresolved grief and repressed anger. The struggles of Jass in dealing with her psychological state and how she emerges as a fighter has been well depicted. The professional and personal struggles of Jass run alongside the investigation, this enhances the drama at many places. There are occasions where we see the seniors being dismissive off her on the grounds of getting overtly involved, she is also treated in a condescending manner at work.

Stories of cops battling personal tragedies while investigating isn’t new but what makes this movie different is how the director has added the angles of Islamophobia and Homophobia among others. The communal tension between Sikhs and Muslim who form an important chunk of immigrants has been well explored too.

The movie also explores the trauma of a closeted Queer through an important character. There is an important conversation regarding this at a crucial juncture, it makes the viewers think about the plight of these people. The movie also dwells into the faulty idea of marriage where a woman is just treated as a servant with no salary.

Additionally, the movie also examines the changes brought by the pandemic. How it has influenced many aspects of our life both positively and negatively. Thankfully all these social aspects flow seamlessly rather than being force fitted. However, there are times where the viewers feel that these topics would have better off in a web series rather than a feature movie.

Just like Hansal Mehta’s previous movies here too there is ample psychological insight into the shortcomings of society. Emma Dalesman’s cinematography is top notch as well. His frames perfectly capture the eerie atmospherics.

As mentioned, in beginning the Buckingham Murders belongs to the genre of slow burn investigative dramas. This is not a thriller with twists and turns at every corner. Hansal Mehta takes his own sweet time to establish the various perspectives. At times the angle of immigrants even overpowers the mystery part of it but the conclusion more than makes up for it. It makes the viewers sit up about how this person turned out to be the real villain.

The Buckingham Murders has an equal mix of Hindi and English dialogues. This is doesn’t become jarring at any point. The English dialogues are equally poignant as the Hindi ones. Mention must also be made of Jasmeet’s wardrobe. Hansal uses the wardrobe in a smart manner to showcase the protagonist’s emotional journey. For most part of the movie Kareena is seen wearing black and dark purples. The only time the viewers see Jasmeet wearing a bright color is when she finally decides to stop running from the haunting past.

Performance wise it goes without saying that Kareena is an absolute treat to watch with her nuanced act. The actress has been aging like fine wine and this movie is the perfect testimony to it. The way she expresses emotions through subtle expressions is a treat to watch. A scene which deserves a particular mention is the one where Jass understands grief from her father’s perspective. It is highly emotional.

A scene which deserves a particular mention is the one where Jass understands grief from her father’s perspective.

The supporting cast also make their presence amply felt. Ranveer Brar deserves a special mention for the way he brings out the different nuances. Whether it is the frustration of a father whose child is missing, the false bravado of someone who is failing in business and finally a misogynist husband taking his wife for granted. Prabhleen Sandhu as the unassuming Preeti Kohli is also a delight to watch. The foreign actors like Keith Allen and Charles Craddock are also efficient in their respective parts.

The supporting cast also make their presence amply felt.

The Buckingham Murders is a skillful exploration of the complex human relationships under the guise of a police procedural. How certain social structures suffocate human beings, for fans of layered stories and Kareena Kapoor Khan this is a must watch.

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The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty: Another winner from Kavita Kane

The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty book banner

This Kavita Kane’s novel is a must read for those who like reinterpretation of mythological characters. Like her previous ones here too the author has chosen a neglected female character, this time Satyavati

Starting from The Karna’s Wife: The Outcast Queen in 2013 Kavit Kane has written eight books so far. She has made a significant place herself by reinterpreting epics from the perspective of women who have been mostly neglected, case in point being Ravana’s sister Surpankha. As far as I know no other work has come on Surpankha keeping her as the main protagonist. Same applies to Menaka Apsara. Of course, like other writers who reinterpret epics Kavita Kane is also famous for adding her imagination like in the case of her first one. Nevertheless, she has engaged the viewers thoroughly with her writings.

Starting from Karna’s wife Kavita Kane has written eight books so far

As far I know no one else has written a book with Surpankha as the main protagonist

Coming to The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty the story traces the journey off Satyavati, from toiling away as a fisherwoman to becoming the wife of Shantanu. For those who don’t know Satyavati was the stepmother of Bhisma Pitamah. The story focuses on her ambitious nature and how her actions lead to a complex chain of events.

The characterization of Satyavati is in a way similar to Surpankha. Both the woman aren’t very likeable in terms of their actions but the readers don’t hate them completely either because of the psychological insight.

There is no denying that Satyavati is shrewd and cunning. In the process of securing the throne both for herself and the sons many lives are destroyed. However, beneath the shrewd demeanor there is also a broken woman. Due to the hardships faced from childhood she firmly believes that only power will get her respect. In order to maintain that power she keeps on making mistakes.

The equation between Bhisma and Satyavati also keeps the readers hooked. Bhism is the only person that Satyavati thrusts wholeheartedly, she constantly seeks him out. There are also hints of her having more than motherly affection when she gets jealous of Amba. There is an underlying animosity in the way Bhisma taunts Satyavati on certain occasions, but you also seen him admiring her inner strength.

Although The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is primarily about Satyavati and Bhisma other characters also have their moments. Particularly mention must be of Amba a woman who desperately wants to marry Bhisma.

Overall, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is a wonderful exploration of Mahabharata from Satyavati’s perspective. As far as I know in simple English no other book has come on Satyavati as the main protagonist. Of course, the debate on what part of the book is imagination and how much is taken from the original text is never ending. But for those who like a mixture of both this is a must read.

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Thangalaan: Pa Ranjith’s movie feels like an arthouse subject force fitted into a pan India cinema

Pa Ranjith continues his repertoire of politically charged storytelling, but overdose of magic realism coupled with many symbolisms make it a very tedious watch

  • Starcast: Vikram, Parvathy Thirovuthu, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy, Daniel Caltagorine and others
  • Direction story and screenplay: Pa Ranjith
  • Additional screenplay and story: Azhagiya Periyavan and Tamil Prabha
  • Music: GV Prakash Kumar
  • Production Companies: Studio Green and Neelam Productions
  • Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Pa Ranjith’s Thangalaan feels like a prequel to Prashant Neel’s massive hits KGF 1 and 2. Through this movie Pa Ranjith has showcased the origin of gold mining in the Kolar Gold Fields. Pa Ranjith is known for depicting socially relevant issues using big stars as a medium – case in point are the two movies made with Rajnikanth Kabali and Kaala. The latter in particular was an impactful movie. In this film too Pa Ranjith talks about the lower caste people deprived of their lands first by the landlords and then by the British who promise to give them dignity. Thangalaan would have been a good addition to Pa Ranjith’s repertoire if he had struck to the core plot, but unnecessary addition of magic realism coupled with a confusing screenplay make it an extremely boring movie. The film has its moments like the scene where the women wear blouses for the first time. Malavika Mohanan springs a pleasant surprise with her intense portrayal of a warrior woman, Parvathy Thirovuthu as Gangamma also delivers a praiseworthy act, but these aren’t enough to save this overstuffed movie.

Malavika Mohanan springs a very pleasant surprise

The story of Thangalaan focuses on a tribe of people making a living from agriculture. Vikram plays the central character. Thangalaan is haunted by certain visions of a warrior goddess Aarthi (Malavika Mohanan). Parvathy plays Thangalaan’s wife Gangamma. Pasupathy is another key member of the tribe. His role has a major aspiration of reaching Vaikuntam through Ramanuja’s teachings. His character is often used for generating humor. Things take an interesting turn when an Englishman Lord Clement (Daniel Caltagorine) asks the villagers to help him in locating the gold mines. Thangalaan firmly believes that gold will bring a positive transformation in their lives. Additionally, Lord Clement also promises a share in the gold along with a better standard of living, Thangalaan foolishly believes this. Locating the gold is easier said than done as a warrior woman was supposed to protect the area. This is the story in brief.

The positives in Thangalaan can be counted on the tip of one’s fingers. Malavika Mohanan as Aarthi is definitely one of them. Malavika is mostly known for her hot image but here the actress sheds all vanity getting into the skin of the role. There is a palpable anger in her eyes. Throughout the movie Aarthi makes more sense than the central character. Along with anger a certain concern is also there for Thangalaan. She constantly reminds him that he is not doing right. Malavika does an extremely good job in portraying these facets. Parvathy Thirovuthu is the feisty wife who doesn’t back down from confronting her husband when needed. Parvathy’s acting skills doesn’t need any specific introduction and here too she makes the viewers feel the emotional turmoil of Gangamma.

Parvathy as the feisty wife

One of the few memorable scenes in Thangalaan is the scene where the women wear blouses for the first time. There is a certain wonder in their eyes that is fun to watch. The song and dance sequence that follows makes for a good moment, a much-needed relief from the heavy bloodshed.

A major issue with Thangalaan is the characterization of Vikram. As an actor Vikram gave his usual hundred percent, but the characterization lets Vikram down. Thangalaan’s belief in Lord Clement having genuine empathy towards them feels terribly misplaced. He becomes the major reason for the tribe’s suffering, putting their life at stake ignoring Aarthi’s warnings. It is hard to think of Thangalaan as a leader, more so when he doesn’t listen to his own kin in spite of people dying around him. This sketchy characterization hampers the movie in a major way. The best example of this is the pre- climax where Thangalaan finally shows repentance but by then the damage has already been done.

As an actor Vikram gives his usual hundred percent

Thangalaan also suffers from way too much abstractness. There is a constant crosscut between Thangalaan’s visions of his ancestors and the present day. This juggling act adds to the viewers impatience. It becomes hard to follow the storyline because of it. Additionally, GV Prakash’s background music threatens to break audience’s ears. It is too loud and jarring.

To sum it up Thangalaan is Pa Ranjith’s Raavan (Mani Ratnam movie) moment. It is a massive downfall for a respected filmmaker who gave Rajinikanth one of his best movies Kaala. Watch it only if you are a die-hard Pa Ranjith or Vikram fan.

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Priyanka Chopra Autobiography Unfinished

Recently I have read Priyanka Chopra’s autobiography Unfinished, it is a collection of stories that cover the many aspects of her life both professional and personal. However Unfinished is not just the story of Priyanka Chopra, it is as much about her parents who were a big pillar of support in the process of Priyanka achieving global stardom.

This autobiography works best when Priyanka shares anecdotes about her parents. Oftentimes she paints them as superheroes. Her daddy was a doctor in the army. There is an instance where Priyanka talks about him dislodging a bullet from a dying soldier. Similarly the mother rescuing a girl child outside a hospital on a rainy night. Her father’s battle with cancer and how it took her a long time to cope with his death feels heartfelt.

But when it comes to the professional part the book needed more insight into how she brings her characters to life. For example Priyanka’s act in Barfi is hugely acclaimed. She expressed her sadness on her performance being overlooked at major award functions that year however there is no insight into how she became the character. After a point the novel becomes more of a Wikipedia entry with how she has emerged victorious overcoming obstacles. The only portion regarding the professional chapter that works is when she goes in detail about the failure of her musical career in America. Unfinished is no by means unreadable there is a crispness in the narration but the book could have done with more description of her acting process.

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Perfume (Telugu)
Cast: Che Nag, Prachi Thaker, Abhinaya, Bushan, Rayala Harischandra, Meer, and Krishna Teja
Director: JD Swamy
Producers: J Sudhakar, Shiva B, Rajeev Kumar B, and Srinivas Lavuri
Music: Ajay Arasada
Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

3.5